Caster-wheel.



A. M. LGFLAND.

GAST'ER WHEEL.

APPLICATION PILE SPPT.5,1912.

Patented Sept. 29, 19M.

wenn M; 'Lorman or tnnauougiuniaua.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, ALFRED M. LOFLAND, a citizen of the United States, :residing at `Lebanon,- in the county of Boone and .State or" `ndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in CasterTWheel-s, of'

which the following' is a specification.

specification afnemers raient.

This invention relatesl to improvements in s the steering Wheels-of motor vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, strong and light sheet metal wheel so constructed that the pivot of the steering knuckle may 'be located in the plane of the Wheel intermediate the. lopposite sides of the rim .to permit of the yfree turning or sluing of the Wheel.

A. further object is to locate the wheel axle Suliiciently to the rear of the vertical pivoto therknuckle to secure a caster action l of the wheel'rrherehy incase of accident to the steering mechanism the Wheels will lrun f straight 'ahead instead' of eccentricallyas would otherwise be likely to occur.

accomplish the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompenyinpf drawings, which forni a part of this speciicatiomin which similar characters ot' reference indicate like partsin the. several L figures. 4 i v i Figure 1 is a vertical section. through a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a iront elevation of the Wheel on the other end of the axle constructed in acci-dance with iny invention. Fig.v 25 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.` 1, show- 'ing the wheelfin elevation as viewed from its inner side, and Fie. l is a horizontalsection on the line -l--fl of Fig. 1 looking down.

lrly'impro'v'ed wheel includesa rim 5 oi y any suitable constriution to which a suitable tire() is secured.v The construction oit tire. and rim and the manner of securing thc tire to Vthe rim 'form no part of my invention and may be any approved construction.

Located at the center of the wheel is a hub 7 which is adapted to be mounted on the spindle S oi" the axle of the vehicle. The hub 7 is of any suitable character, and is here shown of a form toreceive roller bearings between it and the spindle 8. The bearings however are not shown, but the placesfor them are illustrated in Fig. 1. The body 9 of the axle is connected to the spindle 8 by a .suitable steering knuckle comprising upper and lower journals 11 on the body ot the axle, and a sleeve 10 on the spindle and retreat-ea sept. ee, une.

yApplieetion :tiled September 5, 19,12. Serial No, 718,706.

rotatable about a vertical pivot bolt 12 pessing'through sleeve 10 and journals 11. As shown inIFigsJ-B and 4T, the axis of the spindle 8 is in a vertical plane considerably to the mar of the plane passing; through the axis ``-=:tlie bolt 1Q. The vertical plane i through the axis of the spindle is illustrated by the dotted line cec in Fig. 3 and the anis oi` the boltv 12 by the dotted line 5*?) in said Fig. 3, This is an important feature of my inventionas it secures a caster action of the Wheel causing the latteigwvhen the pivot of the steering;l knuckle also lies in a. plane interincdiate the opposite sides oi the rim ot thewheel, to run straight -uhead should there be any accident to the steering iniwluuiisni. The extension lever to the steering mecha.- nism isshown at 18.

One of the iniiiortant Jfeatures of my in vention involves the peculiar construction oi' the wheel whereby its hub is supported from the rii-n to one side of the plane in- 4termediate the oppositesides of therim to perniit the exis of the steering knuckle," that is,l of bolt 12, to lie in this intermediate plane, as v,shown by the dotted line a-a of Fig. 1. This su pportv between rim 5 and hub 7v comprises /a pair of sheet metal disks lll and 15 each ot which has en annular outer portion 16. lyingr in a plane parallel with and intermediate the sides of the rim, and `outwardly bont portions 17 and 18 whiclreach merge into planesparallel with each other and at right angles tothe axis ot the huh, as shown at 19. T he outward dish of thedisk `15 is considerably greater than that-oi the inner disk lei., as shown in Fig. l,

j so that they brace and support each other,

The contacting members-1G are bolted to tether by rivets 20. and the semi-ated members 1Q receive annular c.\:tcn s iou:; ot the hub Tibetpeeu them, and they aro'socurt-.d to .said extensions by rivets 2l. .kn inner annular plate 22 is placed between thc disk l-l and the rivet heads, and an annular :ingle plate Q'l is placed between the outer rivet heads and the disk l5. '.lhesc plates 22 and 23 materially strengthen the attachment ol' the disks to the huh. The outer edges of both disks 1st and 15 are bout outwardly at right angles to form a flange Qfl, the two [langes together constituting' a scat for the rim 5.

rlhe described formation of the two disks 14 and 15 may be secured in any known manner or by any known means of forming' and shaping metal, but they are most easily and CII l their proper relative positions and formed are readily and quickly assembled with the hub by bringing them together into rmanently and rigidly uniting them by the transverse rivets, after which the rim 5 may be slipped over the periphery Q4.- and united thereto by any suitable means. A wheel thus constructed is toa large extent hollow and of. comparatively light weight, and by the braced and trussed relation of the two disks when assembled and riveted the wheel possesses a high degree of strength and rigidity and resistance to the deforming strains, and at the same time the hub 7 is located at one side of the wheel and outside of the intermediate plane between the sides of the rim so as to allow the pivotal axis of the knuckle to be located in said intermediate plane, and by thus locating the steering knuckle above the point of support and somewhat in advance of it the frictional resistance with the ground is reduced to a minimum and a. normal tendency of the wheels to travel in a straight line is` secured.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as. regards details of construction and arrangement and as being embodied in certain precise forms I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly or any more than is pointed out in the claims.

. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction and arrangement, the omission of immaterial elements and the substitution of equivalents as crcu'mstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claim -1. In a wheel, the combination with a hub and a' rim, of a pair of sheet metal disks both extending from the rim to the hub and secured to and connecting said menibers, the connection With the rim being approximately within the middle plane of the wheel, both of said disks being curved from rim to hub outwardly to form an outwardly mirate dished wheel, the outer disk havingr more dlsh than the inner one.

2. In a wheel dished outwardly to receive the pivot of a steering-lmuckle and Casteracting support in a plane through the inid- (lle of the wheel, the combination of a hub, a rim, a pair of sheet metal disks each having annular outer portions which are in contact with each other and are in planes at right angles to the axis of the hub, said disks having inner portions separated by an annular hub extension and said disks also having intermediate outwardly and continuouslyY curved portions connecting said rim and huh to form an outwardly dished wheel` the outer disk having more dish than the inner disk, the outer edges oi said disks being flanged in opposite outer directions to receive the rim of the wheel, and means connecting the flanges with said rim.

3. In a wheel dished outwardly to receive the pivot of a steering-knnckle and casteractino support in a plane through the middle oi the wheel, the combination, oi a hub, a rim, a pair of sheet metal disks each having annular outer portions which are in contact with each other and are in planes at right angles to the axis ot' the hub, said disks having inner portions parallel with each other but separated by an annular hub extension, said disks having intermediate outwardly curved portions coiniecting said rim and hub portions to form an outwardly dished wheel, the outer disk haring more dish. than the inner disk, the outer edges of said disks being flanged in opposite outer directions to receive the rim of the wheel, and rivets securing the contacting portions of the disks together.

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 13th day of Aug., A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twelve.

ALFRED M. LOFLAND. 

